Triaxial fabric



May 27, 1969 N. F. DOW 3,446,251

TRIAXIAL FABRIC Filed April 23, 1968 Sheet 'of 'r I N VEN TOR.

May 27,1969 5. gm 3,446,251

TRIAXIAL FABRIC I Filed April 23, 1968 Sheet 2 of 7 INVENTOR. NORRISF/Tz Dow ATTORNEY May 27, 1969 N. F. DOW 3,446,251

. TRIAXIAL FABRIC Filed April 23, 1968 Sheet 3 l N VENTOR.

May 27,1969

Filed April 25, 1968 N. F. oow

TRIAXIA-L FABRIC Sheet 4 of? I N VEN TOR.

61113 iifz lb May 27, 1969 N. F. DOW 3,446,251

TRIAXIAL FABRIC Filed April 23, 1968 Sheet 5 of? I N VEN TOR.

1969 N. F. Dow 3,446,251

TRIAXIAL FABRIC Filed April 25, 1968 INVENTOR.

May 27, 1969 N. F. DOW 3,446,251

TRIAXIAL FABRIC Filed April 23, 1968 Sheet 7 of 7 INVENTOR.

N RR/S F/Tz Dow, BY Q ATTORNEY- United States Patent 3,446,251 TRIAXIALFABRIC Norris F. Dow, Radnor, Pa., assignor to General Electric Company,a corporation of New York Continuation-impart of application Ser. No.515,028, Dec. 20, 1965. This application Apr. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 725,585

Int. Cl. D03d 13/00 US. Cl. 139-383 23 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREIntroduction This application is a continuation-in-part of applicationSer. No. 515,028, filed Dec. 20, 1965, now abandoned, of commoninventorship and assignment herewith.

The present invention relates to a triaxial woven fabric having threesets of parallel yarn courses arranged at angles to each other. Moreparticularly this invention relates to triaxial woven fabrics havingstrength and stiffness on the bias as well as in other directions.

Background of the invention Conventional single ply woven fabrics arecharacterized by the presence of a combination of two basic yarns in theweave-the warp and the weft or filling. They have maximum strength alongthe warp and along the filling but have inherent weakness on the bias.This lack of sulficient shear strength limits the usefulness ofconventional woven fabrics for many applications. Attempts to overcomethis problem have taken the direction of adding plys of woven fabrictogether in such manner that the bias direction in one ply is reinforcedby an adjacent ply oriented with its bias direction at an angle to thatof the other fabric. However, this requires an increase in weight andbulk of the resultant fabric.

Triaxial fabrics have appeared in printed publications; an exampleappears in the patent to Stewart No. 1,368,215 granted February 8,192.1. The Stewart fabric is composed of two sets of diagonal warpsarranged at two different axes and doubled weft rows arranged alongstill another axis, and is characterized by the fact that every warpyarn of one set is laid over every warp yarn of the other set. Further,each weft yarn is woven in the same way as its companion. The product isconsidered to be lacking in shear strength and transverse strength(strength in a direction normal to the filling yarns) as compared to thefabric according to this invention. This is attributed, at least inpart, to the fact that the yarns arranged in one direction are fourtimes as numerous as in either of the other two directions. Also, theweave is not such as to assure a positive interlock of yarns of allthree axes where they intersect.

Therefore, objects of this invention are to provide a woven fabric whichexhibits little or no structural weakmess on the bias, to provide a Widevariety of triaxial fabrics having an interlocking Weave, fabrics havingcontrollable characteristics, and to provide fabrics which 3,446,251Patented May 27, 1969 are capable of being fabricated within a widerange of designs and parameters of strength, density, porosity andappearance.

Desirably, triaxial fabrics according to this invention are isotropic.This means a fabric which has strength and stiffness to resiststretching or shearing forces in the plane of the fabric regardless ofthe direction of force application. Normal fabrics, which arecharacteristically weak in the bias direction, are lacking in isotropy.The term isotropy applies also to a fabrics ability to resist shearingforces. It is an important feature of this invention, accordingly, thatthe number of yarns in any direction is not less than one-third of thenumber of yarns in any other direction.

Isotropy in a fabric is a desirable characteristic for manyapplications, such as curtains, blankets, mosquito netting, thermalunderwear, girdles, bathing suits, sneakers, upholstery materials,inflatable space vehicles, balloons, airplane fabrics, Radomes, fuelcells, life rafts, parachutes, tire fabrics, gaskets, sails andreinforcing fabric in plastics and the like, for example.

Detailed description of the invention The isotropic fabric produced bythis invention is made by weaving some or all of three yarn course setstogether in such a manner that the direction of each yarn in thetriaxial yarn system is arranged to form a predetermined angle with eachother yarn. Preferably, this angular relationship is about 60. However,angles greater than about l015 and angles less than produce usefulfabrics though they exhibit less isotropy.

Of course, it will be understood that when any yarn is woven over andunder another, yarn curvatures are created as the yarn follows itstortuous path in the fabric. Such curvatures do allow limited stretchingof the fabric by straightening out the curve, but the fabric isnevertheless isotropic within the definition of the word as intendedherein.

In the weaves of the present invention, at least one and often all ofthe yarn courses are woven such that the yarn course is blocked fromslippage along other yarn courses angularly displaced therefrom bylocking intersections of the angularly displaced yarn courses. Anintersectinglocking yarn course which passes over a secondintersection-locking yarn course passes under the locked yarn course andvice versa. Such intersections alternate on either side of the lockedcourse throughout its length. Because prevention of slippage of yarncourses in the plane of the fabric depends on the contiguity of thelocked strand to the cross over point of the locking intersectingstrands, the resistance of the fabric generally to slippage ordistortion upon the application of shear forces depends on some degreeof snugness between the locked and the locking yarn courses. Obviouslythis may vary depending on the characteristics desired in the finishedproduct. Generally however, they will be relatively snugly compacted inorder to take advantage of the locked intersections throughout theweave.

Such intersections also require that the materials used b somewhatpliable and bendable or flaccid so that the locked yarn course can becontiguous with the locking yarn courses near their cross over point.Typical of the yarns which may be used for this purpose are cotton,wool, nylon, rayon and some of the more advanced yarns, such as Thornelgraphite fiber made by the Union Carbide Corporation.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein distinguishing markings have beenapplied to yarns for convenience of illustration and differentiation:

FIG. 1 is a face view of a simple triaxial fabric according to thisinvention;

FIGS. 2-12 and 14-15 are face views of numerous variants of thisinvention; and

FIG. 13 is a reverse view of the variant shown in FIG. 12.

In making reference to the yarns shown in all the drawings, the yarndepicted in solid black will be referred to as the woof or z yarn, thecross-hatched yarn as weft r y yarn and the stippled yarn as warp or xyarn. It will be understood, however, that depending upon the weavingtechnique, one or more yarns could be warp and one or more yarnsfilling.

The fabric shown in FIG. 1 is an illustration of a relatively simplewoven isotropic fabric. In this fabric it is preferable (but notnecessary) that yarns of the same diameter be chosen. The numberdesignates pores or open spaces in the fabric. Different yarn sizescould be used on each of the three axes of the fabric and the yarns maybe packed more closely or more loosely than shown, depending upon thecharacteristics sought in the final fabric.

In FIG. 1 the distance between adjacent horizontal warp yarns xx isroughly twice the diameter of the yarn, as is the distance betweenadjacent yarns yy and z-z. The x yarn courses are woven over the y yarncourses and under the z yarn courses, the y yarn courses are woven overthe z yarn courses and under the x yarn courses, and the z yarn coursesare woven over x and under y. The resulting isotropic fabric has adensity (mass per unit of area) of about one-half of that of aconventional biaxial loomed fabric having the same warp and woofcomposition; and a porosity of approximately 33% in the same area, about66 /3% of the projected area being occupied by yarn. But porosity ispresent in this form, regardless of the sizes of the three yarns or howtightly they are packed.

It is a characteristic of the weave appearing in FIG. 1 that atapproximately this density and porosity all yarns are compacted snuglyat each intersection of the yarns such that the possibility of slippagesbetween adjacent yarns is minimized and an inherently stableconfiguration is achieved.

In the fabric variation illustrated in FIGURE 2, it will be observedthat, for convenience of fabric design, two ":c yarn strands are shownin a tight, side-by-side arrangement. Throughout the disclosure of thisspecification, I refer to a yarn course as meaning one yarn strand or aplurality of yarn strands which are tightly laid or twisted together sothat they contact each other along substantially their entire length andfunction as a unit in the finished fabric. This is to be distinguishedsharply from two parallel, spaced-apart yarn strands.

In FIG. 2 each yarn course x intersects each yarn course 2 at an angleof 60 and passes under all z yarns; each x yarn course intersects each yyarn course at an angle of 60 and passes over all y yarns, and each 2.yarn course passes (also at an angle of 60) over one y yarn and underone y yarn. Each 2 yarn is over x. As shown, each x yarn coursecomprises a pair of adjacent parallel yarn strands which increases thedensity of the fabric to approximately 75% and reduces the porosity toabout 12.5%. While in some cases the fabric may have excellent qualityand porosity characteristics without this pairing, it is often preferredto provide paired strands as one of the yarn courses in an essentiallystraight longitudinal configuration, as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Hereagain, the yarn intersections are anchored, giving an inherently stableconfiguration.

In weaves such as that shown in FIGURE 2, some yarn courses such asthose in the x direction in FIGURE 2 are uncrimped, i.e. they remainover all y courses and under all z courses throughout the weave. Topreclude the possibility of such uncrimped yarn courses slidinghorizontally (as illustrated) through the fabric, selected yarn coursesin the uncrimped yarn course direction, disposed at intervals in thefabric, may be interwoven with 4 one or both of the non-parallel yarncourses. In FIGURE 2, one pair of yarn courses x is interwoven with thez yarn courses in just such a manner.

The triaxial fabric of FIG. 3 has essentially no porosity and has adensity of approximately It is characteristic of this fabric (as well asothers heretofore described) that this fabric has anchored intersectionsand that there is substantially no slippage between yarns at theirintersections. The yarn axes intersect at an angle of 60. Each x yarncourse passes under all z yarn courses, each x yarn course passes overone y yarn course and under one y yarn course; and each 2 yarn coursepasses over one y yarn course and under one y yarn course.

With respect to the fabric shown in FIGURE 3, as well as several othersdescribed herein, it may be noted that two of the parallel sets of yarncourses, x and z in FIGURE 3, are not interwoven with one another. Thusthroughout the fabric shown in FIGURE 3 x yarn courses are under z yarncourses. Fabrics of this type are important because this characteristicfacilitates the weaving process and simplifies the mechanics of thelooms required to weave such fabrics.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, the fabric there shown is characterized byits lack of porosity and nearly 100% density. Here again, theintersections are anchored. Each x yarn course passes under one and overone 2 yarn course; each x yarn course also passes over one and under oney yarn. In addition, each 2 yarn course passes under one and over one yyarn course. Specifically, in the FIGURE 4 fabric, each x yarn coursepasses alternatingl over and under z and also alternatingly over andunder y, each y yarn course passes alternatingly over and under x, andalternatingly over and under z, and each 2 yarn course passesalternatingly over and under x and alternatingly over and under y.

Certain modifications in the composition of the yarn axes illustrated inFIGURE 1 were made, resulting in the highly porous weave shown in FIGURE5. In FIG- URE 5 the x and z yarn courses contain only one yarn eachwhile the y yarn axis contains two yarns y and y Yarns y are floatingyarns, remaining over all x yarns and under all z yarns. Within theframework of this modification, the relationships for the FIG. 1 fabricstill hold true; FIG. 5 fabric is the equivalent of FIG. 1 with an extray yarn. In FIG. 5, specifically the y yarn courses are in pairs y and yand y is under all x and over all 2, while y is over all x and under all2, each 1 yarn course is alternately over and under y and y and is overall x, and each x yarn course is alternately over and under y and y andis under all z.

Similarly, the modification appearing in FIG. 6 shows another decorativefabric which is within the scope of this invention. Here the z yarn axiscontains two yarns both arranged over one y yarn and under the adjacenty yarn, over the x yarns; the x yarns are over one y yarn and under theadjacent y yarn. Specifically, the x yarn courses are in pairs x and x xbeing under all z and alternatingly over and under all y, x being underall z and, 1n opposite phase to x alternatingly over and under all y,the y yarn courses are in pairs y and y y being under all z andalternatingly, in opposite phase to y over and under x, and the z yarncourses are over all x and alternatingly over and under y.

The stability, i.e. resistance to slippage, in weaves having somefloating yarn courses, such as y in FIGURES 5 and 6, may be enhanced byeither regularly or periodically interweaving a locking strand atintervals in the fabric. In FIGURE 5, for example, an additional yarncourse x is interwoven over all z yarns instead of under all z yarns tocontrol slippage of floating yarn course y FIG. 7 shows anotherisotropic fabric variation having no porosity and a density of becauseof yarn overlay. In this fabric the yarn axes are again at 60 for thepreferred isotropy. The x yarn is characterized by passing under twoover one z yarn and under one and over two y yarns. Further, each z yarnpasses under two and over one y yarn.

In the FIG. 7 form, the x yarn course passes under two z and over one z,and under one y and over two y, the y yarn course passes over one x andunder two x, and over two z and under one z, and the z yarn coursepasses under two y and over one y, and under one x and over two x. Theresulting fabric is extremely strong, making it ideally suited for usein demanding applications as for sails and the like.

FIG. 8 shows a fabric having great porosity, where a yarn course x andanother yarn course x x are provided alternately. The x yarn coursepasses over all z and under all y, x is alternately under y and over z,x is alternately over y and under z, the y yarn course passes over all xand over x and under x and is under two z and over one 2. The 2: yarncourse passes under all x, under x and over x and over two y and underone y. This weave, again, exhibits the intersection-locking featurewhich is considered important and advantageous.

FIG. 9 represents a low-density, closely woven fabric according to thisinvention. Because of close packing, porosity is substantially zero, yetall filaments are securely anchored in position. There are no sets ofparallel filaments which are not stabilized by crossing filaments, asthere would be in a two-way weave closely packed in one direction andloosely packed, for density reduction, in the other direction.

Specifically in FIG. 9, two x yarn courses x and x are provided; x isunder all z and over all y while x is over Z and under y, y is under xand over x and under z, and z is over x and under x and over y. Thedensity is 83.3 of a closely woven two-way weave, and the maximumstiffness in the x direction is 200% more than in the y and zdirections. Of course, other densities can be attained by variations inthe weaving pattern. The embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is especially usefulbecause it has a density below 100% of a closely woven two-way fabricand achieves this without porosity or loss of the importantanchored-filament feature.

FIG. 10 represents a twill fabric according to this invention whereinone element of the weave is completely concealed. This Weave has thecharacteristic of anchored intersections, as heretofore discussed, andhas zero porosity. The x yarns in the weave are under all z yarns andover all y. The z yarns are over all x, and are over three y and underone y. The y yarns are under all x, and are over one 2 and under threez. This yarn has a density of approximately 125% of closely Woventwo-way weave, and has a minimum stiffness in the x direction (50% lessthan in the y and 2 directions). Again, this example is representativeonly since other densities and directional stiffness ratios are readilyaccessible by variations in the weaving pattern while maintainingcomplete coverage of one of the three weaving elements.

In FIGURE ll is shown a weave variant differing from that shown inFIGURE 1 by the omission of selected yarn courses.

Specifically, the FIGURE 11 weave is made in the same way as the FIGURE1 weave but every third yarn course in each of the three yarn coursedirections is omitted. The result is a high porosity fabric comprising amultiplicity of parallel pairs of yarn courses in each of three yarncourse directions, the distance between the two yarns courses of eachpair being approximately twice the diameter of the yarn courses. In thisfabric, like that of FIG- URE 1, all of the x yarn courses are wovenover all of the y yarn courses and under the z yarn courses, the y yarncourses are woven over the z yarn courses and under the x yarn courses,and the z yarn courses are woven over x and under y.

The distance between parallel pairs of yarn courses shown in FIG. 11 is2.5 times that between the two yarn courses of the yarn course pairs.Stable open weaves of even greater porosity may be produced by expandingthis interpair spacings so that it is more than the inter-pair spacingshown. For example, if the inter-pair spacing is four times theintra-pair spacing, the fabric is characterized by even higher porosityand lower density (on the order of 20%). All of these high porosityweaves may be used as scrim or decorative fabrics, or for other applications in which stable, open woven fabrics are required.

In FIGURE 12 is shown a non-porous, high density, triaxial fabric withlocked intersections construction which may be more easily manufacturedthan some of those heretofore described. This manufacturability resultsbecause of the presence therein of uncrimped yarn courses appearing onopposite faces of the fabric. More specifically there is shown a fabricin which the x yarn courses, each comprising a pair of parallel,adjacent strands, are disposed under all z yarn courses and over all Zyarn courses. All y yarn courses are disposed over all z yarn courses,under all yarn courses and alternatingly over and under successive xyarn courses. It will be noted by reference to FIGURE l2 and to FIGURE13, which shows the reverse side of the fabric shown in FIGURE 13, thatthe yarn courses are visible only on one side of the fabric and the zyarn courses are visible only on the other side of the fabric. Becauseboth of the z yarn courses form locked intersections blocking slippageof x and y yarn courses throughout the weave, part or all of either ofthe z yarn courses may be omitted for decorative effect or to obtainparticular mechanical characteristics without impairing the stability ofthe weave.

For some applications, such as composite material reinforcement,isotropic fabrics having relatively long lengths or floats of unwovenmaterials are desirable. Embodiments of the present invention havingsuch characteristics are seen in FIGURES 14 and 15.

In FIGURE 14, there is shown a fabric in which a first set of parallelyarn courses y are disposed throughout the fabric over those of a secondset z. A third set x alternately passes under a plurality of consecutiveintersecting z and y yarn courses and over a succeeding plurality ofconsecutive intersecting z and y yarn courses. In the weave of FIGURE14, in which each of the pluralities of consecutive intersecting z and yyarn courses comprises three such intersections, only half of the z yarncourses are locked, i.e. blocked from slippage along intersecting yarncourses by locked intersection construction as described previously,whereas, as shown, all x and y yarn courses are locked. 7

While a less than completely stabilized fabric, such as that shown inFIGURE 14, is relatively easily woven and may have particular utilityfor some applications, a need is foreseen for triaxial isotropic weaveswith long floats of unwoven material and locked intersectionconstruction throughout. A weave of the latter type, with all yarncourses blocked from slippage along other yarn courses is seen in FIGURE15.

The weave shown in FIGURE 15 is characterized as follows: all y yarncourses are disposed over all z yarn courses; each x yarn course followsa sequential path as follows, 1) under y, over z (2) over y and z (3)over 3 and z (4) under y, over .2 (5) undery and z (6) overy and z (7)over y and z (8) under y and z and (9) under y, over z; and each y yarncourse follows a sequential path, with respect to x yarn courses, asfollows (1) over two x 2) under two x (3) over three x and (4) under twox.

Since the number of parameters governing the isotropic fabrics accordingto this invention is greater than the conventional biaxial fabric, thenumber of variations in fabric properties both physical and decorativeor ornamental is vastly increased over those possible with conventionalfabrics. For example, each yarn axis may contain various threadcompositions having varying properties and sizes. By adjustment of thesevariables, a wide variety of predetermined characteristics may bedesigned into the resultant isotropic fabrics.

While in this specification and in the claims reference is made to yarncourses passing alternately, it is not intended to be limited unlessotherwise specified, to a one-by-one alternation or to an alternationinvolving any specific numbers, since it will be apparent that variousalternations whether regular or irregular may be substituted for thosespecifically shown in the drawings as examples of fabrics constructed inaccordance with this invention. It is to be emphasized that the specificfabrics that have been selected for illustration in the drawings areillustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of theinvention as set forth in the appended claims.

Although the fabric according to this invention has been described withreference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be readily apparentthat these disclosures are exemplary and that the invention is capableof variations in producing a wide variety of unique fabrics, all withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The following is claimed:

1. A triaxial pliable fabric comprising three sets of parallel wovenyarn courses x, y and z, each set having an axis disposed at an acuteangle with each other axis, the number of yarns in each set being morethan onethird of the number of yarns in each other set, the yarn courseof at least one of said sets, the locked yarn course, being woven withrespect to each of the other two sets, the locking yarn courses, in amanner to provide an interlock among the respective yarn courses, saidinterlock being constructed and arranged to prevent sliding of thelocked yarn course along the locking yarn courses at the intersectionsthereof and being formed of spacedapart snugly compacted yarnintersections which resist yarn course displacement of the locked yarncourse in opposed directions.

2. The fabric defined in claim 1 wherein each x yarn course is over yand under z, each y is under x and alternating over and under z, andeach z yarn is alternatingly over and under y and over x.

3. The fabric defined in claim 1 wherein each x yarn course passes underall z yarn courses, and alternatingly over and under y, each y yarncourse passes alternatingly over and under x, and alternatingly over andunder z, and each z yarn course passes alternatingly over and under yand over x.

4. The fabric defined in claim 1 wherein each x yarn course passesalternating over and under z and also alternatingly over and under y,each y yarn course passes alternatingly over and under x, andalternatingly over and under z, and each z yarn course passesalternatingly over and under x and alternatingly over and under andwherein each yarn course is a yarn pair where each yarn of the pairalternates with the other.

5. The fabric defined in claim 1 wherein the y yarn courses are in pairsy and y and y is under all x and over all z, while y is over all x andunder all z, each z yarn course is alternately over and under y and yand is over all x, and each x yarn course is alternately over and undery and y and is under all z.

6. The fabric defined in claim 1 wherein the x yarn courses are in pairsx and x x being under all z and alternatingly over and under all y, xbeing under all z and, in opposite phase to x alternatingly over andunder all y, the y yarn courses are in pairs y and y y being over all zand alternatingly over and under x, y being under all z andalternatingly, in opposite phase to y over and under x, and the z yarncourses are over all x and alternatingly over and under y.

7. The fabric defined in claim 1 wherein all of the courses areintermingled such that at some points on the fabric a thickness of allthree yarn courses is presented.

8. The fabric defined in claim 1 wherein the x yarn course passes undertwo 1 and over one 2, and under one y and over two y, the y yarn coursepasses over one x and under two x, and over two z and under one z, and

the z yarn course passes under two y and over one y, and under one x andover two x, the fabric having a density of over of the density of aclosely woven two way fabric composed of identical yarns.

9. The fabric defined in claim 1 wherein x is provided in alternate,different yarn courses, the first course comprising x which is over allz and under all y, the second course comprising alternating pairs x xeach alternatingly over and under y and 2 but x x being out of phasewith each other, y is over x, over x and under x and is over one z andunder two z, and z is under x, under x and over x and is over two y andunder one y, the fabric having a porosity of at least about 33 /s% andall yarn courses being locked against relative motion.

10. The fabric defined in claim 1 wherein two x yarn courses x and x areprovided; x is under all z and over all y while x is over z and under y,y is under x and over x and under z, and z is over x and under x andover y, such fabric being substantially free of gaps inherently providedby the Weave and having a density of less than 100%.

11. The fabric defined in claim 1 wherein the x yarn course is over ally and under all z, the y yarn course is under x, and over one z andunder three 2, and the z yarn course is over all x, and over three andunder one y, the x yarn course being completely concealed within the yand z yarn courses.

12. The triaxial fabric of claim 1, wherein the spacedapart yarnintersections of said interlock are comprised of a locking yarn coursewhich crosses over a second locking yarn course and then under a lockedyarn course, and said second locking yarn course crosses over saidlocked yarn course, said cross over of said locking yarn courses beingcontiguous with the locked yarn course.

13. The triaxial fabric of claim 1, wherein substantially all of saidyarn courses in all three of said sets are woven with said remainingsets to form interlocks, as described, which prevent each of the threeof said sets of parallel woven yarn courses from sliding along yarncourses angularly displaced therefrom.

14. The fabric defined in claim 1 wherein said fabric is essentiallynonporous.

15. The fabric defined in claim 1 wherein two of said parallel yarncourse sets are not interwoven with one another.

16. The triaxial fabric of claim 1, wherein at least one of said sets ofparallel yarn courses, an uncrimped yarn course set, remains, throughoutmost of the fabric, over one of said angularly displaced sets and underthe other of said angularly displaced sets, said uncrimped yarn courseset having, at intervals in the fabric, a limited number of yarn coursesinterwoven with said angularly displaced sets of yarn courses such thatit is not always over one of said sets and always under the other ofsaid sets.

17. The triaxial fabric of claim 1, wherein one set of parallel yarncourses, a floating yarn course, is not blocked from slippage along yarncourses angularly displaced therefrom by locking intersections formed ofsaid angularly displaced yarn courses, and incorporated at intervals insaid weave, a yarn course angularly displaced from said floating yarncourses, so interwoven with said floating yarn courses and the otherangularly displaced yarn courses as to inhibit slippage of said floatingyarn courses.

18. The triaxial fabric of claim 1, including paired parallel yarncourses Z and Z in the z direction wherein all x yarn courses aredisposed under all Z yarn courses and over all Z2 yarn courses and all yyarn courses are disposed over all Z yarn courses, under all Z2 yarncourses and alternatingly over and under successive x yarn courses 19.The triaxial fabric of claim 1 wherein y yarn courses are disposed over1 yarn courses and x yarn courses alternately pass under a plurality ofconsecutive intersecting y and z yarn courses and over a succeedingplurality of consecutive intersecting y and z yarn courses.

20. The triaxial fabric of claim 1 wherein all y yarn courses aredisposed over all z yarn courses; each x yarn follows a sequential pathas follows: 1) under over 2 (2) over y and z (3) over y and z (4) undery, over 2 (5) under y and z (6) over y and z (7) over y and z (8) underand z and (9) under y, over z; and each y yarn course follows asequential path, with respect to x yarn courses, as follows (1) over twox (2) under two x (3) over three x and (4) under two x.

21. The triaxial fabric defined in claim 1 wherein the x yarn coursesare woven under z yarn courses and over y yarn courses, and the z yarncourses are Woven over x and under y yarn courses.

22. The triaxial fabric defined in claim 21 wherein said yarn coursesare of about equal diameter and are equally spaced from neighboringparallel yarn courses, the distance between said neighboring parallelyarn courses being about twice the diameter of said yarn courses.

23. The triaxial fabric defined in claim 21 wherein said yarn coursesare of about equal diameter and form pairs of parallel spaced apart yarncourses, the distance between members of said pairs being twice the yarncourse diameter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 104,243 6/1870 Wright 1394201,033,843 7/1912 Trautvetter 139-419 1,201,257 10/1916 Cobb. 1,367,7512/1921 Morris 139-419 1,368,215 2/1921 Stewart 139-419 1,955,986 4/1934Tice 139419 X 2,985,941 5/1961 Riedesel et al. 139383 X FOREIGN PATENTS367,873 2/1932 Great Britian. 879,838 12/ 1942 France.

OTHER REFERENCES Mechanical Engineering, June 1959, p. 121 relied on.

JAMES KEE CHI, Primary Examiner,

